Kota Sentosa rep calls for strengthening of Housing Regulations to prevent land title delays

Yap (centre) in a meeting with a group of house purchasers from Taman Kalien, Lorong 2, Jalan Sungai Tapang, who expressed their dissatisfaction that individual titles to the property had not been issued after 20 years.

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, July 10: Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap has called for a revisitation and strengthening of the Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations, 2009, to prevent delays in the payment of premiums and fees and to ensure the timely issuance of land titles for new developments.

Yap stated that he recently met with a group of house purchasers from Taman Kalien, Lorong 2, Jalan Sungai Tapang, who expressed their dissatisfaction that individual titles to the property had not been issued after 20 years.

He emphasised that he would first seek clarification from the Divisional Land and Survey Office to understand the root cause of the delay and would do his utmost to assist in resolving the issue.

“I understand their frustrations as owning a house or any premise gives one a sense of pride and security. That security is tied to holding the document of title or land title.

“However, as many property owners have experienced, new properties are often not yet issued with land titles at the time of purchase or even when they move into the premises.

“Many times, new property owners lament that the authority is slow in issuing land titles to their new properties with some purchasers,” he said in a press statement issued today.

Despite regulatory changes such as the Housing Developers (Control and Licencing) (Amendment) Regulations, 2009, which divide the final five per cent of progress payment into 2.5 per cent to be released upon the issuance of an occupation permit and the final 2.5 per cent upon the issuance of new land titles, Yap stated that these measures are inadequate.

“Further improvements should be made through amendments, including banning shareholders and directors of errant development companies from being involved in property development.

Yap continued: “I will not resort to the blame game which is unhealthy but hope all parties, stakeholders and the relevant authorities will be sensible and come to a solution to resolve this outstanding issue which has dragged on for too long already.

“This issue is not about politics but the purchaser’s rights to a land title after paying for it. In fact, this could very well be the only asset the purchasers bought using their lifelong savings.

“The non issuance of individual land titles could very well be just the tip of the iceberg with many more similar predicaments faced by house buyers.” — DayakDaily